1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a system and method for providing vehicle path planning and generation for lane centering and/or lane changing in a semi-autonomous or autonomously driven vehicle and, more particularly, to a system and method for providing vehicle path planning and generation for lane centering and/or lane changing in a semi-autonomous or autonomously driven vehicle that uses roadway points from a map data base to determine a reference vehicle path and then inputs from various vehicle sensors to alter the reference path based on road curvature and detected obstacles.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The operation of modern vehicles is becoming more autonomous, i.e., vehicles are able to provide driving control with less and less driver intervention. Cruise control systems have been on vehicles for a number of years where the vehicle operator can set a particular speed of the vehicle, and the vehicle will maintain at that speed without the driver operating the throttle. Adaptive cruise control systems have been recently developed in the art where not only does the system maintain the set speed, but also will automatically slow the vehicle down in the event that a slower moving preceding vehicle is detected using various sensors, such as radar and cameras. Certain modern vehicles also provide autonomous parking where the vehicle will automatically provide the steering control for parking the vehicle. Some vehicle systems intervene if the driver makes harsh steering changes that may affect vehicle stability. Some vehicle systems attempt to maintain the vehicle near the center of a lane on the road. Further, fully autonomous vehicles have been demonstrated that can drive in simulated urban traffic up to 30 mph, observing all of the rules of the road.
As vehicle systems improve, they will become more autonomous with the goal being a complete autonomously driven vehicle. For example, future vehicles probably will employ autonomous systems for lane changing, passing, turns away from traffic, turns into traffic, etc. Smooth maneuvering and automated lane centering and lane changing control is important for driver and passenger comfort in autonomously driven vehicles. However, as a result of sensor and actuator latency, measured vehicle states may be different from actual vehicle states. This difference may cause improper path generation, which will affect lane changing harshness.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,170,739 issued May 1, 2012, titled, Path Generation Algorithm for Automated Lane Centering and Lane Changing Control System, assigned to the assignee of this application and herein incorporated by reference, discloses a system for providing path generation for automated lane center and/or lane changing purposes. The system employs one or more forward-looking cameras that detect lane markings in front of the vehicle for identifying a travel lane on which the vehicle is traveling. A desired path generation processor receives the signals from the camera, vehicle state information and a steering angle of the vehicle, and a request for a vehicle lane change. The system also includes a path prediction processor that predicts the vehicle path based on the vehicle state information including vehicle longitudinal speed, vehicle lateral speed, vehicle yaw-rate and vehicle steering angle. The desired path information and the predicted path information are compared to generate an error signal that is sent to a lane change controller that provides a steering angle signal to turn the vehicle and reduce the error signal, where the path generation processor employs a fifth order polynomial equation to determine the desired path of the vehicle based on the input signals.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0082195 to Lee et al., titled, Method to Adaptively Control Vehicle Operation Using an Autonomic Vehicle Control System, assigned to the assignee of this application and also herein incorporated by reference, discloses improvements to the path generation algorithm disclosed in the '739 patent that includes determining a preferred travel path for the vehicle based on a predicted travel path and an estimated roadway position.
Both the '739 patent and the '195 application employ vision cameras to detect roadway markings and objects in front of the vehicle for path generation purposes. However, current vehicle vision cameras have a maximum effective viewing distance of about 80 meters in good conditions, thus limiting their ability to detect roadway markings to determine roadway curvature. Particularly, a typical lane changing maneuver may require 5-6 seconds. For highway speeds, such as 70 mph, the camera range is often not sufficient to complete a lane change maneuver based on current calculation requirements. Therefore, the vehicle speed may exceed the ability of the system to accurately provide the necessary predicted path for semi-autonomous or autonomously driven vehicles.